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SUBJECT: PRESS BULLETIN - January 8, 2009 
 
Opinions/Editorials 
 
¶1. "Israel's Indiscriminate Massacre and Its American Accomplice" 
(Hankyoreh Shinmun, January 8, 2009, Page 27) 
 
 
Features 
 
¶2. WEST Program Costs an Applicant 20 Million Won; Is It a "Measure 
for Youth Employment"? 
(Hankyoreh Shinmun, January 8, 2009, Page 2) 
 
 
Top Headlines 
 
Chosun Ilbo, All TVs 
Israel Halts Gaza Offensive for Three Hours to Allow Humanitarian 
Aid to Reach Besieged Palestinians 
 
JoongAng Ilbo 
Ruling GNP Seeks to Introduce Measures to Punish Lawmakers who are 
Involved in Violent Clashes at National Assembly 
 
Dong-a Ilbo 
Delays in Filling Senior Government Positions Vacated 
by Last Year's Collective Resignations Deal a Blow 
to Carrying out State Affairs 
 
Hankook Ilbo 
No Letup in Liquidity Crunch for Small and Mid-Sized Firms 
 
Hankyoreh Shinmun 
First Round of Corporate Restructuring Expected Soon 
 
Segye Ilbo, Seoul Shinmun 
Israel Accepts Gaza Ceasefire with Conditions 
 
 
Domestic Developments 
 
¶1. According to the Blue House, Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso 
will visit Seoul for two days from Jan. 11 to discuss pending 
bilateral issues with President Lee Myung-bak on Jan. 12. In 
particular, it is said that the two leaders will agree to launch a 
joint project to help rebuild Afghanistan during the summit. (All) 
 
 
International News 
 
¶1. According to an official from the Obama camp, Wendy Sherman, 
former U.S. North Korea Policy Coordinator, will likely be named as 
Special Envoy on North Korea for the incoming Obama Administration. 
The source was further quoted as commenting that Assistant Secretary 
of State Christopher Hill will step down from his position dealing 
with North Korean affairs. (JoongAng, Hankyoreh, Seoul) 
 
¶2. North Korea announced yesterday that it will hold parliamentary 
elections in March, a possible sign of the North Korean regime 
returning to normal with leader Kim Jong-il's health improving. 
(All) 
 
 
Media Analysis 
 
Gaza 
Israel's acceptance yesterday of a Franco-Egyptian plan for a 
ceasefire in Gaza received wide play.  Citing foreign media, the ROK 
media reported that Israel, faced with international outrage over 
its Jan. 6 strike near a UN school that killed 42 Palestinians, 
accepted the cease-fire plan on condition that the plan stops Hamas 
from firing rockets into Israel and stops the militant group from 
re-arming.  The ROK media went on to say that Israel also agreed to 
suspend its military offensive for three hours a day and to permit 
humanitarian relief goods to reach besieged Palestinians.  The 
Israeli cabinet was quoted as saying yesterday that it will push 
ahead with the military offensive while at the same time pursuing 
the cease-fire option. 
Left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun editorialized: "Most of the more than 
600 Palestinians killed so far are civilians.  Under no 
circumstances can this kind of massacre be justified.  Nevertheless, 
President Bush supported Israel, saying that Israel has decided to 
defend itself.  The UN also failed to adopt a resolution calling for 
a ceasefire in Gaza in the face of the U.S.'s opposition.  As 
Israel's biggest donor, the U.S. is the only country capable of 
putting the brakes on the Israeli massacre.  However, far from 
persuading Israel to stop, the U.S. is acting like an accomplice." 
 
North Korea 
The ROK media gave wide play to a North Korean announcement 
yesterday that the North will hold parliamentary elections in March. 
Most of the ROK media viewed this announcement as a possible sign of 
the North Korean regime returning to normal with leader Kim 
Jong-il's health improving. 
 
Right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo, left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun and 
moderate Seoul Shinmun carried a quote from an official from the 
Obama camp, who said on Jan. 6 (local time) that Wendy Sherman, 
former U.S. North Korea Policy Coordinator, will likely be named as 
Special Envoy on North Korea for the incoming Obama Administration. 
The official was further quoted as commenting that Assistant 
Secretary of State Christopher Hill will step down from his position 
dealing with North Korean affairs. 
 
Japanese Prime Minister Visits Seoul 
The ROK media gave front-and inside-page play to a report quoting 
the Blue House as announcing yesterday that Japanese Prime Minister 
Taro Aso will visit Seoul for two days from Jan. 11 to discuss 
pending bilateral issues with President Lee Myung-bak on Jan. 12. 
In particular, the ROK media noted that the two leaders will agree 
to launch a joint project to help rebuild Afghanistan during the 
summit, while commenting that it is unprecedented for the two 
neighbors to jointly provide foreign aid. 
 
 
Opinions/Editorials 
 
"Israel's Indiscriminate Massacre and Its American Accomplice" 
(Hankyoreh Shinmun, January 8, 2009, Page 27) 
 
"Most of the more than 600 Palestinians killed so far are civilians. 
 Under no circumstances can this kind of massacre be justified. 
Nevertheless, President Bush supported Israel, saying that Israel 
has decided to defend itself.  A UN resolution calling for a 
ceasefire in Gaza has not been adopted in the face of American 
opposition.  As Israel's biggest donor, the U.S. is the only country 
capable of putting the brakes on the Israeli massacre.  However, far 
from persuading Israel to stop, the U.S. is acting like an 
accomplice.  The U.S. has a lot of blame to bear for this continuing 
slaughter." 
 
 
Features 
 
WEST Program Costs an Applicant 20 Million Won; Is It a "Measure for 
Youth Employment"? 
(Hankyoreh Shinmun, January 8, 2009, Page 2) 
 
By Reporters Choi Hyun-joon and Kim Min-kyung 
 
Controversy arises over the high cost of the government-run WEST 
program. 
 
Amid economic downturn and unemployment in the U.S., internship 
prospects are grim. 
 
Chung Jae-won, 26, a college student who is going to graduate this 
February, has thought about applying for the WEST (Work, English 
Study, Travel) Program but finally gave it up.  This is because it 
costs him a lot, and the details of the program are not certain. 
Chung said, "Besides living expenses, it costs 7,000-9,000 dollars 
simply to participate in the program and study English in the U.S., 
and the specific details of the program have not been determined 
yet," adding, "I will consider using the Working Holiday Program, 
which allows us to study English and participate in an internship at 
a lower cost." 
Although President Lee Myung-bak cited the WEST program as a good 
example of a youth employment measure, observers point out that it 
will only benefit "one percent of university students."  Seoul will 
be implementing the WEST program this coming March.  Under the 
program, Korean college students are allowed to stay in the U.S. for 
up to 18 months while studying English (5 months), working as an 
intern (12 months), and traveling (1 month).  The program will be 
launched with an initial 2,300 participants this year, and the 
number of participants is expected to expand up to 5,000 per year. 
In his New Year's address on January 2, President Lee Myung-bak 
introduced this program as a major government policy on youth 
employment. 
 
The problem is money.  According to government data, it costs 
5,000-5,800 dollars to study English for five months and 2,500-3,500 
dollars to participate in an internship program, including the 
arrangement fee.  The cost of living is not included here.  It costs 
approximately 20 million won, including living expenses, before 
participants begin to work as an intern.  Director of the Consular 
Service Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Tae 
Joon-yeol, said "In the beginning, it takes large amounts of money, 
including the cost of language training, but students can earn money 
by working as an intern for the remaining 12 months.  In short, 
students can take a language course for 18 months with only 5 months 
of training costs." 
 
However, no one can be sure whether they will get a job as an intern 
after completing the language course.  The U.S. economic recession 
and the soaring youth unemployment rate will make it more difficult 
for Asian students, who are not good at communicating in English, to 
get a paid job.  At the overseas internship project conducted from 
2004 to 2006 by Human Resources Development Service of Korea, most 
participants worked as unpaid interns.  The application process for 
the WEST program is over, but it has not yet been decided where the 
participants will work as interns.  "I'm concerned that nothing has 
been determined yet regarding the workplace for interns after 
completion of the course," said a 28-year-old student. 
 
"We have been conducting the project with three counterparts 
recommended by the U.S. Department of State.  Many applicants will 
work as paid interns," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and 
Trade.  Kim Sam-ho, researcher of Korea Higher Education Research 
Institute commented "I doubt whether the WEST program, that costs 
students 50 million won, will resolve the youth employment issue." 
 
 
 
Stephens 
1